Charter school moving to larger site this fall

Veritas Academy will lease Christian Center Academy on Ireland Road.

Veritas Academy will lease Christian Center Academy on Ireland Road.

February 25, 2006|MICHAEL WANBAUGH Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- Veritas Academy, the area's only charter school, will move in time for the 2006-07 school year. The school has operated out of its current location at 814 E. LaSalle Ave. since it opened as a private school in 2000. It became a charter school in 2002 and serves grades kindergarten through eight. According to Yolanda Turner-Smith, president of the Carousel Family Services board of directors that oversees the school, Veritas will lease the Christian Center Academy at 530 E. Ireland Road. The Christian Center Academy plans to close at the end of the current school year. "We believe the new location will support our growth for the next few years," Turner-Smith said. "Then we'll have to decide what to do after that." Space has become a serious concern for Veritas at its current building as enrollment at the school has more than doubled the past four years to 143 students. With a curriculum that requires class sizes be no larger than 18 students, and a current facility without a cafeteria, gymnasium and playground, Turner-Smith said the move was a logical decision. "It's a lot bigger," Turner-Smith said of the new facility. "It has a full-size gym and a cafeteria. It's really nice." Turner-Smith said the agreement with Christian Center Academy is a year-to-year lease. As for the old building, Turner-Smith said the board has put together a committee to explore what to do with it. Families who are interested in enrolling children at Veritas Academy can visit the new location during an informational open house 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. A second session will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. on March 8. New families must attend one of the two informational meetings or make an appointment with Interim Director of Education Angela Piazza. Admission into Veritas is open to all Indiana residents and is determined each year through a random lottery conducted by Ball State University, the school's sponsor. Staff writer Michael Wanbaugh: mwanbaugh@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6151